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John Coffin drafts of statements to the Court of Inquiry,1783

Major Coffin's reply to Col. Campbell's defence before a Court of Enquiry, June 1783, leaf 1 recto

Mr. President & Gentlemen of the Board,
I must return you my sincere Thanks for the Liberty you have granted me of
making this Reply, & as I concieve [sic] that the Evidence produced to the Board & Lt.
Col. Campbell�s Confessions have fully supported the Narrative which I had the Honor of
laying before you, I shall be very brief in what I have now to offer for your further
consideration.
You must be convinced from the Evidence of Adjutant Cummins & Capt. Gray
that Serjeant Perkins was the established Clerk of the King�s American Regiment & a
Person necessary to the service of it.
If Lieut. Col. Campbell had a Necessity for his Assistance to adjust either his
private or public Accounts, or to arrange the Papers of the late Court martial (as he has
been pleased to alledge) what good Reason can be assigned why he did not communicate
that Necessity to me as the commanding Officer of the Regiment? Common Decency, as
well as the essential Rules of Service required this at his Hands, & I must once for all
observe
1

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This digital image may be used for educational or scholarly purposes without restriction. Commercial and other uses of the item are prohibited without prior written permission from the New-York Historical Society. For more information, please visit the New-York Historical Society's Rights and Reproductions Department web page at http://www.nyhistory.org/about/rights-reproductions

Full text

Mr. President & Gentlemen of the Board,
I must return you my sincere Thanks for the Liberty you have granted me of
making this Reply, & as I concieve [sic] that the Evidence produced to the Board & Lt.
Col. Campbell�s Confessions have fully supported the Narrative which I had the Honor of
laying before you, I shall be very brief in what I have now to offer for your further
consideration.
You must be convinced from the Evidence of Adjutant Cummins & Capt. Gray
that Serjeant Perkins was the established Clerk of the King�s American Regiment & a
Person necessary to the service of it.
If Lieut. Col. Campbell had a Necessity for his Assistance to adjust either his
private or public Accounts, or to arrange the Papers of the late Court martial (as he has
been pleased to alledge) what good Reason can be assigned why he did not communicate
that Necessity to me as the commanding Officer of the Regiment? Common Decency, as
well as the essential Rules of Service required this at his Hands, & I must once for all
observe
1